Onboarding Videos: 7 Ways to Integrate New Staff

Which kind of onboarding video would be best for your organization?

Whether it’s joining a new department, a different division or a whole new organization, the first days on the job are often confusing: new values, unfamiliar procedures, a slate of different products and a mazelike office layout. An onboarding video can be a HUGE part of ensuring a new employee’s first days and weeks are smooth, enjoyable and even productive!

An onboarding video or series of videos have the advantage of being able to consistently deliver complex, dynamic information – as many times as the new hire needs to see and hear it. And it won’t take staff away from their job duties in the process.

While one simple welcoming video might do the trick, a series of shorter, bite-size video videos can be a great resource on an ‘as needed’ basis. These can also serve as an important supplement and reinforcement to written material.

Which kind of onboarding video could be best for your organization? Let’s look at the possibilities:

 

1) The Welcome

Make a new staff member feel part of the team – before they even walk in the door! Sending a welcoming message from the CEO, branch manager or a friendly group hello from everyone on the team can help ease first day jitters. Whether this video messages arrives before a new contractor starts or is viewed on their first day, it will introduce the friendly atmosphere of your work place – and establish your environment as one to settle at for the long haul!

2) The “Little Things Matter” Video

In the first days and weeks on a new job, many little things can be frustrating time wasters – like not knowing how to use the phone system, the photocopier or what’s the elevator code. Creating a simple video tutorial of basic office info will help a new hire get comfortable and acclimatized.

3) Knowledge Transfer

Often new employees aren’t fortunate enough to meet the person who last did the job to gather important knowledge from their predecessor. One way to bridge the information gap is to capture this information on video before the departing employee leaves. Not only will this

help the new team member adjust to their new role more quickly, it’s also a great way to examine workflow and practices and evaluate which can be streamlined in the future.

 

4) Company Mission and History

Your organization likely has a written history and mission statement. But putting that information into a video can include strong emotional messaging that will help newcomers- and even veteran employees – better remember and retain them.

 

5) Technical info- Watching a clear step-by-step video can be much more helpful than wading through dense instructions to set up equipment and software. You might consider creating a small library of technical videos to better empower all employees to learn a product or service at their own speed, stopping and starting as needed.

 

6) Company Core Values– Seeing your organization’s values on a wall plaque can’t fully convey their guiding principles. You can help new (and veteran) team members better explore and absorb the meanings of these values in a well constructed video. It could also do double-duty as a way to introduce several team members and see them in action.

7) Values, ethics and policies: Important and essential as this information is, these policies can be dry and tedious to read. But this is critical information for both new and current employees.

· Code of ethics and conduct

· Non- discrimination policies

· Cybersecurity policies

· Workplace harassment policies

 

A production company can help you craft an interesting and final concept to produce a watchable and even entertaining video explaining and reinforcing these important messages.

 

Still wondering if an onboarding video or video series is truly necessary for your organization? Consider that providing a welcoming and positive first experience is critical to the bottom line. Glassdoor’s recent study demonstrates that a new staffer’s retention rate can be boosted by 82% and their productivity by 70% with a stronger onboarding process. Conversely, companies with weak onboarding programs lose the confidence of their candidates -and these new employees -far more frequently in the first year. If you’d like to explore how an onboarding video can work for your organization, contact us!